Scholarships

  • First Time Travelers

    Each year Greenheart Travel provides scholarship grants to individuals who are “first-time travelers” and have the desire for travel and cultural immersion. Our First Time Traveler Scholarships are available for our adult, high school and short term programs. We encourage everyone to follow their travel aspirations, despite obstacles that may inhibit these goals.

    We want to help make travel accessible to everyone and truly believe that when you study, teach or volunteer abroad, you are embarking on a journey that will significantly impact your global perspective! That is why, along with our scholarship grants, we will offer additional support and resources for first-time travelers. 

    Let Greenheart Travel staff members tell you about the life-changing experience of traveling abroad for the first time:

  • Selection Criteria 

    The purpose of this scholarship is to give the opportunity to travel to those who have not had it before. Therefore, you should meet these requirements if you want to be considered:

    • Be a First Time Traveler*
    • Be enrolled in, or in the process of, applying for a Greenheart Travel program
    • Be in good standing with your high school, university, work, etc.
    • Have a desire to travel, curiously explore new cultures, and positively share your experiences with your home communities
    • Be excited to tell your story to the Greenheart Travel community and be a mentor to future travelers. If you get chosen you’ll be asked to submit:
      • 2 blog posts (~500-750 words each) about your experiences abroad 
      • 1 review of your Greenheart Travel program on Go Overseas and Go Abroad
      • 5 one-minute videos highlighting your daily life on the program  
      • 20 high resolution photos of you experiencing life on your program


    *What is a First Time Traveler?

    We’ll be the first to admit that this term is a bit loose here. But generally, a First Time Traveler will have no experience traveling abroad alone. It is possible that you went on a Caribbean cruise with your family, or a short school trip to Costa Rica, so we’d be accepting of you if that were your only experience abroad.

    However, it is important to us that we reach people who will be traveling abroad solo for the first time. Preference will be given to those with the least experience traveling. At the beginning of the scholarship application, you’ll need to provide a paragraph explaining your travel experience and why you consider yourself a First Time Traveler.

    What does it mean to be in good standing with my high school, university or work?

    We’ll need a recommendation letter from a teacher, guidance counselor or boss. We’re asking you to have them outline why they think you’d be a good candidate for the scholarship and why you’d be a great promoter of cultural exchange.

  • Scholarship Details

    All scholarship applicants must follow the below process.

    1. Ensure you meet your chosen program’s general eligibility requirements. These are available on each program page.
    2. You must also fill out the scholarship application (separate from the program application) by the following deadlines:
      • Adult Programs: February 15, 2024
      • Teen Programs: February 15, 2024

        Deadline extended to March 15, 2024 for select locations

    You are not required to submit an application for the program as part of the scholarship application process. However, if you are planning on partaking in the program whether or not your get the scholarship, you should submit your initial application as normal to ensure you have a spot on your preferred start date. We cannot save you a spot on a specific date until we have these deposits.

    If you are chosen for the scholarship and have not formally applied by submitting a deposit, you will be required to submit your deposit within 48 hours to save your spot on your preferred start date, however, we cannot guarantee all summer start dates will still be available. If your preferred start date is full, you can change your start date. If you are unable to attend on any open start date, you will not be granted the scholarship.

    Important Information Regarding Deposits and Reimbursement:

    ALL scholarship recipients will be required to pay the application fee as well as the commitment payment following acceptance to the program. Note: These fees go towards the cost of the program and are not separate.

    • High School Abroad: Initial Application Fee of $1500, Commitment Payment of $5000
    • All other programs: Initial Deposit of $300, Commitment Deposit of $300

    Half of the scholarship amount will be deducted from the total program costs immediately. The second half of the scholarship amount will be reimbursed once the scholarship recipient finishes all required scholarship requirements (blog, reviews, video, photos, etc.).

    Documents Required to Apply 

    • The online scholarship application, which includes essay questions.
    • Introductory video (around 1 minute) – we want to get to know you! Tell us why you should receive this scholarship and why you want to travel for the first time.
    • Recommendation from a teacher, guidance counselor, boss, etc. (sorry – we can’t accept letters from friends and family although we know they love you!).
      • You will be able to “request” a recommendation from someone via email through our application portal.

    Deadline to Apply:

    February 15, 2024

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  • Teen Scholarships

    2024 Scholarships for Ages 14-18

    Deadline extended until March 15, 2024 for the following programs!

    High School Abroad

    Program Location Length Scholarship Amount
    England Term or Semester $1300


  • Adult Scholarships

    2024 Scholarships for Ages 18+
    Applications open on January 15, 2024

    Teach in a Homestay
    Program Location Length Scholarship Amount
    South Korea 1-3 Months $100 – $200
    Spain 1-3 Months $100

     

    TEFL Certification
    Program Location Length Scholarship Amount
    Italy 4 Weeks $300

     

    Teach Abroad
    Program Location Length Scholarship Amount
    Thailand (Placement Only) 6-12 Months $500
    Thailand (TESOL + Placement | May or November 2024) 6-12 Months $1,120

     

    Work Abroad
    Program Location Length Scholarship Amount
    Australia 7 Days $850

  • Terms of Acceptance

    As a scholarship recipient, we want to showcase your experience and program! All travelers who receive scholarship funding will be asked to create the following for Greenheart Travel:

    1. Recipients will submit five (5) one-minute videos highlighting your daily life on your program
    2. Recipients will write 2 blog posts about their program and experience of at least 500-750 words each.
    3. Recipients will submit 20 high-resolution photos to Greenheart Travel of their time abroad.
    4. Recipients will agree to be a mentor for new travelers after their program.
    5. Recipients will leave a review on GoOverseas.com and GoAbroad.com after the end of their program. Link to be provided by Greenheart Travel.
  • FAQs

    Can I apply for multiple Greenheart Travel scholarships?

    No, you can only submit one scholarship application per scholarship cycle.

    Do I need to apply for the program at the same time that I apply for the scholarship?

    Yes, in order to be considered for the scholarship, you need to submit an active application for the program at the same time. They can be submitted simultaneously or in sequence with one another.

    You are not required to submit a deposit or any money to apply for the scholarship, but we do need a completed application with all of your details on file to award you a scholarship.

    If you plan to do your program even if you are not awarded the scholarship, we HIGHLY recommend submitting deposits and applying as normal – as not to disrupt your program timeline.

    How many people usually apply for Greenheart Travel’s scholarships?

    We have a limited number of scholarships and each year we receive anywhere from 40-150 scholarship applications.

    Does Greenheart Travel have other financial aid?

    We do not offer other forms of financial aid at this time. We do offer a guide for fundraising. Many past participants have had success using these resources, including Jaime who wrote a wonderful blog about her unique fundraising efforts.

    If I find a scholarship from another organization outside of Greenheart Travel, can I apply it to my program fee?

    Yes! We welcome you to find funding opportunities from all over, and we can accept scholarship credit from other organizations, foundations or from fundraising efforts.

     

    What should be in the letter of recommendation? 

    We’ll be asking them to outline why they think you’d be a good candidate for the scholarship and why you’d be a great promoter of cultural exchange.

    You will have the ability to input your recommenders email into our application portal, and they can log into your application and provide a recommendation.

    Can I still apply for the scholarship if I want to go in Spring 2025?

    If you are applying to study abroad as high school student, yes. All other scholarships are only for the 2024 calendar year.

    The high school abroad scholarship we award in 2024 will be applicable to a Spring 2024, Fall 2024, or Spring 2025 program unless otherwise noted. We award scholarships in winter for the entire following academic year.

    Can I apply for the scholarship even if I’ve already applied for a program?

    Yes! There is no problem if you’ve already submitted your application and still want to apply for the scholarship.

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